Wichita eagle., 1887-11-25
PENSION LEGISLATION.
Commissioner Blacks Circular-Its Pur-
pose and It's Probable Result.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-The circular re-
Gently sent out by Pension Commissioner
Black is not meeting with the prompt re-
Spouse that was anticipated for it. The
| circular, it appears, has gone to the vari-
Gus county clerks in the several states.
with the object Of eliciting from them in
formation concerning the number of ex-
| soldiers and sailors and their dependent
relatives who from causes within or be
yond their control are dependent on cnar-
| ity The evident intention of the com
missioner and pension bureau, however, is
to provide themselves with statistics in
advance of the coming session of congress,
so that early action may be taken toward
pension legislation. The presidents action
| in vetoing the dependent pension bill of
the last session has had a bad effect upon
| the Democratic party, and with view to
neutraliZng this, in measure, it is under
stood bill will be urged by the admins
tration just what will be embodied in it
! is not vet known, nor will it be formu-
! lated until some statistical information,
! such as requested in Commissioner Blacks
circular is obtained
Gen Black is now skirmishing about
the country visiting the National Soldiers
! Homes, and in addition to ascertaining
/ how Cleveland and Black" would sound
! for the Democratic National ticket in 1sSS,
he will endeavor TO find out what legisla-
| ton is necessary to create a kindly feeling
! for the administration among the soldiers,
! if such a thing be possible. 1t is therefore
probable that when he returns a bill viii
/ be formulated, although, Of course, it will
not be done officially, nor is it probable
! that a recommendation from the commits
/ sioner or the pension bureau to congress as
! to pension legislation will be deemed pru-
! dent But by and with the advice of Mr..
Black it is understood the administration
( will prepare and present a bill which ii is
! hoped to pass before the presidential cam
paign opens.
Hon VIM E. Mclean, first deputy COM
missioner of pensions, when asked By
/ Globe-Democrat representative yesterday
whether the circular was preliminary to
! proposed pension legislation. said that in
| one sense it was, though not in the sense
| that Republican newspapers might con-
strue it.
''We were frequently called upon during
! the last session OF congress" said he, FOR
| information as to the number Of dependent
soldiers in the country particularly when
the dependent pension bill was under con-
sideratiOn. We assume that there will be
persion bills before congress again this
winter, in which the information asked
last year viii be again required. That is
!
Are you receiving any replies?' was
asked.
"A few. 1t is probable that reports viii
be more numerous in q few days and by
the time congress is well under way the in
formation we desire will be at hand. The
circular sent out in September, and of
course it Will take some time time to Sc
cure the statistics.
"What is the estimate of the bureau as
TO the number of dependent soldiers who
are unpensionedY
THE bureau has made none and the OBJ
iect of the circulatOr is to secure the basis
for such an estimate. The records show
that there were 2.7000 600 soldiers enlisted.
Many OF them enlisted two or three or more
times, and are thus counted that often.
Making an allowance for this there We're
probably 1000, 900 enlisted men. With the
mortality tables USED by Insurance com
Danes as a basis, it is estimated that about
! i00,O 600 OF those soldiers are yet living, and
we know that about 10000 are drawing
pensions, while applications Tor more than
half that number are now pending. There
are, of course, many dependent ex-solders
living il alms-hOnses ana charity hospitals
who have never been able to establish their
claims 1t is these whom we want to find,
and presume the ultimate object is 10 do
something for their relief"
viii Gen. Black or the pension bureau
{
bill?"
well not exactly. A recommendation
would hardly be proper, and while Gen.
Black doubtless feels interested in the
welfare of the old soldier, / am unauth-
oriZed to say what he may do officially or
otherwise. As for the bureau. think the
members feel that action on their part
would be improper. l think the bureau,
however, looks with favor upon the de
pendent bill recommended by the last
Grand Army, although some minor
changes in il may be necessary"
ss"Do you think a dependent pension bill
viii be passed this season in. view of the
presidents veto Of last winters billE"
Possibly | think the administration
would favor a dependent pension bill with
those Objectionable features which were in
the last one removed. [ suppose such a
bill will he introduced, although I am sure
Gen. Black and the pension bureau viii
not be officially connected with any meas
ure, as 1t is their duty only TO execute the
laws as they find them"